The ordinance would have banned weapons in four city buildings with the Board of Public Works and the Common Council.

Police officers, both on and off duty, would have been exempt. And mace, pepper spray and other personal protection sprays would have been exempt.

Hamel said he proposed the ordinance so employees could ask people with guns to leave the building.

State Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Jimtown, gave a speech against the proposed ordinance saying if people who legally own guns have to leave them in their cars there will be nobody to protect those employees.

Â?WeÂ?re disarming good, law-abiding people,Â? she said.

Walorski said she carries a gun herself and has a permit to do so.

Â?At the end of the day I do have to defend myself,Â? she said, adding that if somebody in the room with her started shooting people, Â?I would take them down before they hurt anybody else.Â?

Walorski argued that employees already have the right to call police if somebody comes in carrying a gun.

Brad Foster, owner of the Midwest Gun Exchange, said the ordinance has no teeth and metal detectors would protect employees better than it would.

Peter Yarbro, an attorney, said the way the ordinance was written employees would have to call a police officer to cut a birthday cake because the knife would not be allowed on city property.

Several people said they believed the ordinance would be expanded from the four city buildings it would have covered initially Â? City Hall, Battell Center, the police department and the utility office.